Okie doke, I’ll do the tin foil thing. It has to be crumpled?
If it’s not crumpled it’s almost like putting a mirror there and you can get a bit of glare or even a spotlight effect. Crumpled still reflects the light but scatters it a bit.
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Hi Helen, could you explain to me exactly where the crumpled tin foil is positioned when taking photographs.
The reflector (aka a piece of card covered in crumpled tin foil) needs to be opposite the light source so that it reflects light into the shadows that the item casts. So with my set up its reflector on the left, infinity curve/ item being photographed in the middle, window on the right. I then have another reflector that I can position as required, it often gets balanced at an angle on the top of the other reflector and the top of the infinity curve (which is slightly higher) to bounce light back down onto the darker side of the piece. I’ll take a photo tomorrow if you like.
Sasha
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I’m no expert but I’ll tell you what works for me! Cover a piece of card with crumpled foil, shiny side out, smoothing it over and tape it at the back. And then position the card opposite your main light source (window or whatever) and you should see any harsh shadows reduced. You’ll have to experiment moving it around to see the effect.
If it’s not light enough it won’t help, all it does is bounce any available light around.
(I have 2 pieces of foil covered card hinged together with a bit of tape so they will stand on their own.)
Hope that helps!
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I do the same Martine 
xx
Thank you Helen and Sasha for your information, it’s much clearer now, I will experiment tomorrow if the weather brightens a little.
Thank you
Dawn
I have one of those pop up things too ( the comment about being too large and small at the same time made me smile - so true!) But because the fabric is so thin I just find that you can see the seams/table top joins/whatever is in the background through it. Maybe that’s just my rubbish understanding of how to take photos.
I have the first kind, and I actually really like it. I shoot my larger items by a stair window in my house, but for my textile jewellery and wee things, I like the lightbox. I don’t bother with the rubbish wee tripod type thing - I use a full size tripod on the floor, whilst the lightbox sits on the table.
When I bought mine, one of the lamps was broken when delivered, but it was quickly replaced with no fuss whatsoever. The lights get VERY hot - I tend to use them for a little while then turn them off to cool down before using them again. I would advise you never ever leave them unattended as I don’t personally trust them…they smell hot and I’m sure are capable of being a fire risk if they fell over (which they do, frequently - they’re very unstable).
The background sheets can be a bit of a pain in the bum. They crumple easily, so need a gentle press each time you use them. They also attract fibres and wee fuzzies through static electricity and you could go mad trying to clean them - I just edit them out using my photo software, but if you don’t have access, think about this. I tend to use the white one most, and find I need at least one sheet of paper behind it as the fabric is so thin, it’s quite see through. On a white table, that’s no problem, but mine are wood and show through.
I’m constantly cleaning my background covers with one of those rollers too. It can get a bit annoying. I roll all of mine up and put them in a plastic bag but some how they always seem to get bits on them.
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You guys rock!
I did the 2 tinfoiled cards stuck together thing and this is what my photo turned out like. The light is APPALLING today - all I had to do in post editing was adjust the white balance and increase the colour intensity. Imagine how fab it will be when there is a bit more light 
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Brilliant Even on a dark day you are getting good results. I’d never heard of this trick either sounds really good - will have to give it a go.
I roll my backdrop covers on a tube from either an old tin foil roll or kitchen roll tube that stops the from getting too creased.
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Me too Pauline. They are a pain to iron 
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Hi I’m new to this and was very disappointed with my photos but I have bought the first light box and very impressed with my results. They are 100% better and I don’t have to rely on it being daylight.
Hmmm, may be OK if you want to contact the company for a price and buy direct from China…
I have heard of people taking photos in the bottom of the bath!!!
If you plan to move your lightbox frequently, consider a lightweight and collapsible option that is easy to transport and set up.